


Sound of Silence

by SuperStitious18



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, Everybody Lives, F/F, Gunshot Wounds, Heavy Angst, I'm Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-05 07:36:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16806259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperStitious18/pseuds/SuperStitious18
Summary: Ava is cold. And alone. In a forest where she had a standoff with Time Pirates with half a brain. All she hopes is that Zari made it back alive and that Sara knows how much she loved her.





	1. Silence

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from Sound of Silence from Disturbed. You should give it a listen while you read this fic to get the full feeling behind it if you'd like.

She's freezing is the first thing she realizes once the silence settles around her. Ava had killed the men that had seperated the Legends and had been set on following her and Zari. But not before she had taken several hits to her torso and gone unconsious as soon as the final shots sounded. 

Now that she was awake, she could see the bodies lying not too far away and a wave of nausea overtook her. But she couldn't move at the moment so she looked away and swallowed roughly.

Ava knew she wouldn't survive. They had gotten her in non vital parts, sure but no one lived through an unattended gut wound for long. Let alone several shots all over their body. But she'd be damned if she died right here, she wanted to at least be out of the rain that was coming. Fitting that today and right now it would decide to pour. Now she was really hoping that Zari had made it back to the Waverider, alive and well. She could die in peace if she knew but maybe... maybe she'd go peacefully if she was just able to be warm.

Ava wondered if this is how agonized Sara felt that first time. She hoped she wasn't cold. The director knew she hadn't been alone, Laurel had been there when her sister died. Unfortunate but at least Sara hadn't been alone. 

She gritted her teeth before attempting to roll over so she could crawl. In the movies, the hero would just roll over immediately and start moving. They'd get to safety and wait a bit before a dramatic rescue happened by their companions and they'd live. Then they would heal far too quickly and rush into a final epic battle against the big bad with a renewed vigor for the fight they started. 

This wasn't the movies. Ava couldn't move, she was in so much pain that she couldn't even see straight. She'd have to muster up her strength if she wanted to move away from the acrid smell of gunpowder. 

So she took a deep breath.

That turned into a coughing fit where she was hacking up blood in consequence. Now she really had to roll over or she'd choke to death. 'Cmon Sharpe.' She'd cry later or maybe now while she moved.

She managed and she was able to continue breathing now that the blood was dripping off her face and not down her throat. Ava groaned in pain but she had to move, she couldn't stay here and risk being found by a potential predator or enemy. She be damned if she were eaten and even more damned if kept alive to be used. Afraid of either of those options, she started to drag herself away. The incoming rain would cover her scent and maybe she could collapse in the bushes to hide.

Just earlier that day, she had been laughing at and teasing Sara about being so short that her pants dwarfed the assassin. Sara had pouted and stomped her foot petulantly as she whined to get Ava to stop but it only served as fuel to her laughter. Eventually, Sara had given in and started laughing too, delighting in her girlfriend's lightness. 

After found Sara wrapped in Ava's arms, ready to chase down these highly dangerous magical fugitives that the seismograph had picked up while they were goofing off. "You'll come back to me alive, right?" Ava asked, knowing her girlfriend could be a little reckless and self sacrifing at times.

"I will. Will you?" Ava would follow them as Time Bureau support today, observing the mission and being trained/prepared enough to handle whatever could come their way.

"Pinky swear." She held out her smallest digit towards Sara, the swear had become their thing after summer camp. A reminder of promises and secrets kept between them.

Sara's smile lit up her entire face, the worry and fear taking a backseat to their love. "Pinky swear." She laced her pinky around Ava's and they shook on it.

But they hadn't counted on the fugitives having half a brain and seperating the Legends. Seperating them so Ava and Sara were seperate less dangerous halves instead of a deadly whole. Targeted Zari when everyone's backs were turned so that Ava would chase them down. They fired round after round at Ava, the agent holding her own from where she had hid behind a tree.

She dropped one long enough for Zari to start running. The totem bearer had stopped to see if she could help but a ricocheted shot sent her scampering, leaving amidst Ava's pleasto get out of there.

Ava finally made it to the bushes as rain started pouring. She promised Sara she'd make it back, she wasn't about to break a promise. At least. She'd have died trying if nothing else. Ava closed her eyes, feeling the rain patter on her body, washing away blood that was still oozing from her wounds. 

The director was unsure of how long she had lain there, barely concious and fighting to keep alive when the sound of footsteps made themselves known. She couldn't do anything, she was weak and hypothermic by now. If it were an enemy, she'd have no choice but to let them discover that she'd been killed in the standoff. Well, close enough.

"Dammit Zari! I thought this is where you said she was last!" That was Sara! Ava let out a weak gasp as she realized the Legends had found her.

"It was! Maybe she got out? Cmon, Let's search the surrounding areas." The totem bearer worried out loud.

Ava didn't have it in her to yell or give any sort of signal that she was still there. "I'll start by the bodies." Why was Nora Darhk there? Did Ray freak out and ask for her help? She didn't care anyways, Nora wasn't all bad especially since she was free of Mallus now.

Not even a minute, "Guys! There's a trail here! It looks like someone got dragged away." Nora sound worried too which was... novel to Ava.

She knew the instant the saw her. "Ava!" Sara screamed and the heavy slick thud of boots on mud came her way. 

She'd kept her promise of making it back to Sara alive. Maybe now she could relax and let them take care of her. And so amidst the yelling and trying to figure out how to move her without hurting her further, Ava did one thing to stop the pain.

She let go.


	2. Team Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A member of the team feels responsible for Ava being comatose, while another feels out of place but determined to help the director who took time to talk to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has Zari talking about guilt and being a sad bean in general. Nora is just talking. Sara is MIA for this chapter.

An annoying beeping noise is the first thing she's aware of this time. The next is that someone is talking. "Of course I'm pissed off!" Zari was yelling, why? And at who was a good question to ask. "If I hadn't dropped my totem or if I had taken my training a little more seriously, then we wouldn't have been waiting so long for Ava to wake up. Hell, We might not have even gotten into this situation in the first place."

There was silence after that outburst and the next voice she heard was Ray's. "Zari, Cmon. You couldn't have known that." He said softly, no doubt trying to get closer to the upset woman. "And Ava is as selfless as Sara when it comes to people they love."

"Well, She better wake up so I can smack her. And then maybe cry." Was the teary reply, mixed with a little laughter. "Did you know when we were... down on Earth, Ava and I were trying to hide and she promised that she'd teach me how to ride a bike. And-And now she won't because she might not-"

"She will wake up Z." Ray reassured their friend, and interrupting her. He didn't want to think about the what ifs. "I bet she can hear us now! Why don't we say something to her, let her know she needs to keep fighting?"

"Okay..." Zari shifted closer to Ava. And Ava could feel her hand being squeezed but for whatever reason she couldn't squeeze back. "You better wake up Ava. Uh... Sara needs you. The Time Bureau needs you back. Hell, I want you back." She went quiet for a minute and got a quiet 'go on' from Ray. "I miss you nagging on me for what I eat. I miss you making large enough dinners on 'accident' so that you have to share with all of us. I miss you enabling me anyways and bringing me my favorite donuts every friday." Zari started sniffling again and just dissolved into full blown sobs before taking off out of the medbay, rife with guilt and sorrow.

Ray followed her, shouting at her to hold on. Gideon resedated Ava, allowing the director to slip back into unconciousness.

Next time, It was Nora who was in the medbay. Apparently, she didn't know that Ava could hear her as she was singing a song to herself. "Everyone is off on a mission. Except Captain Lance, She's in Central City with The Flash is who I think she said she was visiting." Maybe she was talking to herself, or maybe someone told her that Ava might be able to hear her. "Mona said that I should try talking to you. I don't know what good that would do, you can't hear me."

Oh if only she knew.

"But what if you can? What would I even say?" Nora sounded bitter, like she was berating herself for being ignorant. Ava wished she'd stop that, she'd spent enough time being tortured under the control of a time demon. "Maybe thank you?" Now she just sounded awkward. "For getting to know me as me and not... not judging me on what I did as Mallus's puppet."

Ava wanted to tell her that she understood losing years of her life because she too had been a puppet, a pretty plaything that was inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Rip had said she was the twelfth in a line of clones he had taken for the Time Bureau. Then again, he didn't make her or any of the previous Ava's kill anyone for his own personal gain.

"It's kind of nice to have a girl friend too. Mona said that she'd be the happy and quirky one, I would be the dark and brooding one and you would be the rational one. I want to be happy too, It's just hard some days." Nora added as she was cleaning out one of Ava's wounds on her stomach. That had been the worst of them all, caked with mud and grime. It had led to an infection so severe, it almost killed Ava again. "Anyways, That's enough emotional crap. Your wounds are healing still so no backflipping down the Waverider."

"I don't believe she will be doing that anytime soon." Gideon chimed in. "Would be nice to see her awake however."

"I know that." Nora sounded sad.

"If I may, Why did you help find Director Sharpe?"

A moment. "Ray came to my cell and asked. He said that they couldn't find where the Time Pirates had ejected out of the Waverider. Nor could they get back to where they had fought them on the ground. So they were there to get Gary or Nate because from the Bureau, because from there they could track Ava's courier."

"As I was not operational due to the contingency protocol."

"Exactly. Ray came to ask if I wanted to help them. When he said with what, I was... eager to. Ava has been extremely nice to me ever since the time we were trapped in a cell together." She muses and looks sadly at the unconcious woman on the bed. "I kind of feel bad, She helped me but I can't help her."

"You redressed her wounds and you changed her bedding. No one asked you to do that Ms. Darhk. And the Legends asked you if you wanted to go with them, instead you volunteered to stay here as they were taking Mr. Constantine with them." Gideon paused before adding, "You cannot be a monster when you were just singing the PAW patrol theme song."

"Hey! Ray said you promised not to make fun of me for that!"

"I am not Ms. Darhk. I was mearly making an observation." Gideon sounded amused. "Perhaps it is best for you to go clean up, you have been in the medbay for two hours now."

"I know... I..." Nora paused. "Will you tell me if anything changes?"

"Of course Ms. Darhk. I will monitor Director Sharpe and alert you. I will also get in contact with Captain Lance to let her know the situation so far."

"Thank you Gideon."

Silence reigned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I broke it up into three because I wanted to have Sara's feelings and angst really shown by themselves. And, for those who've been waiting, Ava will wake up soon!


	3. The Canary Laments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sara attempts to cope with the fact the love of her life is in a coma. Gideon says she will live and is healing as expected after the infection, so why isn't she waking up?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter is up! Heads up that characters from the flash make an appearance but not really significant enough for me to go back and tag them.  
> Also, warning that Sara goes through a lot of emotions in this chapter but! You knew it was coming. So enjoy!

The first week was the hardest. She wasn't used to Ava being so... still and lifeless. She wanted her up, healthy and smiling. She wanted Ava to be laughing at something stupid the Legends did or more of her being fond when big sistering them. 

Add in the fact that they had to try and get Ava in a better state before Gideon could try to heal her. The gaping wounds on her stomach would take several stages to heal. They all had prayed that they wouldn't get infected but that's exactly what had happened. Gideon would fabricate an antibiotic to help the process but the infection had to run it's course. 

Ava had flatlined once. It ranked as one of the worst sound Sara ever had heard in her life. Ray, bless his heart, was quick to get a shock into her system and start CPR which saved her life. 

But now, the healing would take even longer. Ava was in no condition for a massive influx of repairs. Someone would have to redress her woulds every two hours and sit with her while she remained on life support.

No. She didn't like this one bit. Ava could breath on her own but Gideon insisted she have an oxygen mask on just in case. If she could breath on her own, then she didn't need it. Right? Nate had said it was better to be safe than sorry but he wasn't here, sitting next to the love of his life and questioning if she'll wake up. She was. 

Zari brought her food every meal time, urging her to try and eat something. Sara had to give a smile at that, Zari loved food so she was great about reminding them to eat. Her smile turned to a frown when the thought of how Zari loved to share classic dishes with Ava, who would in turn learn how to make them to surprise her. 

So again, she hated this. It didn't only affect her, that she already knew, but she couldn't help but feel selfish as this was her girlfriend lying there. Sara got nauseous the longer she thought about it.

Maybe Ray was right, she could use some fresh air really quickly. Sara bolted from the medbay, breezing past the sad looks she was getting and straight out the cargo bay door. She leaned against a tree, trying to catch her breath so she didn't spiral back into the sobbing she had been doing when they found Ava.

It had been utter chaos. Time pirate bodies strewn about, cold and dead. They hadn't seen her at first, worried she was taken away. So Nora had used magic, she had volunteered to help find Ava when Ray got into the Time Bureau with Mona and Gary's help. It didn't take her long to sniff out Ava's dying energy and then she had laid eyes on her. It had been a painful thing to see, one of the most since Stein.

She hadn't processed it until Ava's eyes had opened when Nora shouted. Sara had run towards her girlfriend, hoping desperately that she wasn't about to have her die in her arms. "Ava! Ava!" She screamed her name, feeling like she was taking too long to get there. 

Sara had already lost her dad and her sister, she wasn't ready to lose Ava too. She doesn't think she'll ever get her going unconcious out of her brain, it had certainly spooked everyone. Even Mick who had sworn and burnt the dead bodies out of his frustration.

Those two had a strange relationship, Sara mused while sliding down the trunk of the tree she was against to sit on the forest floor. They bickered all the time and threw insults at each constantly and yet, Mick would always make snickerdoodles for Ava while she proofread his writing. It was endearing to say the least.

Sara was unsure how long she sat there until she started shivering. John was the one who found her outside and urged her back inside. He knew what is was like to watch a loved one die, to be on the sidelines while they were injured and dying. The team had decided it'd be best if he tried to talk to Sara or get her in touch with Oliver to try and talk. "Come on then, Let's get you some tea and then back to Sharpie."

"Don't call her that." Sara bit at him.

"Right, I'm sorry." 

Sara was sipping the hot tea, scrunching her nose in distaste at the blend John gave her. He insisted it was great for soothing the soul but all she could taste was vinegar. She cast a sad look to Ava, who was still unconcious but still breathing. So there was some small comfort... 

Except... "Gideon?" She asked.

"Ava is currently in a comatose state. All her minor injuries have been repaired and the major ones are at 25% completion. I needed to stop and take a rest. She has brain function but there is no telling what she could remember or forget. I'm sorry Captain." 

Sara let that sink in. Ava might not remember her. Might not remember the team. She might wake up on the Waverider and be exactly who she was when they first met. That might just break her to have the woman she was madly in love with look at her like she was a stranger.

She quashed the feeling of needing to run again that rose inside of her with the new information. Ava needed her to remain calm, she'd be strong for her love. She would.

The second week didn't get any easier. Ava still hadn't fully healed and Gideon kept insisting she was doing the best she could under the circumstances. It didn't make sense to her, Gideon could heal her faster than regular medical care. But the love of her life was laying prone in a medical bed, still injured and still needing monitoring. She was beyond frustrated.

"Captain. Barry Allen is on the monitor asking for you."

Crap. She didn't want to leave. She needed to stay here by Ava. Just in case... "Go ahead Sara." Zari's voice broke her out of her struggle. "Ray and I are going to check her wounds and see about upping her healing factor today." The hesitation shone clear on her face. "You'll be the first person I tell if anything changes."

"Promise?"

"Of course." Sara still felt uneasy but she trusted Ray and Zari around Ava. 

With that, she turned towards Ava and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back Aves, I promise. I love you okay? So don't you dare quit on me Sharpe." She couldn't look at Zari and Ray, afraid if she did then she'd break before she could see what Barry had to say.

"Ah! Sara! There you are!" Barry was beaming at her and her heart hurt a little more. "We have a situation at the CCPD and I'd like your opinion on it."

"Why me?" She asked, keeping her voice even.

"Well... we don't really know what it is. But what we DO know is that it looks like something someone who's been in the League of Assassins would do. And Oliver refuses to come over, stating he has enough problems with Felicity and who the New Green Arrow is..."

"Alright, I'll be there. I need to get away from the ship for awhile anyways." She didn't want to leave Ava but she could hear her girlfriend in her head now. Telling her she needed to go be a hero, help stop the bad guys like she believes she can. Her throat clenched up and she sniffled a little.

"Hey, are you okay?" Barry asked, ever the one to catch when one of his friends was hurting. "Oh jeez, Here I am asking you to come help with my problem. I didn't ask if you were in a good spot to come. I can always try to reach out to someone else."

What a good kid. "No, No. Uh, I'll tell you in person. I'll get a few things and meet you down there." 

She pulled on Ava's sweatpants, uncaring if they might not be the best option to wear to Star Labs. She was just going to consult, not do any fighting. Hopefully. Sara sighed and packed her bowstaff that Ray and Ava had gifted to her last year on her birthday. 

After alerting the crew that Ray and Zari were in charge, she went and told Ava she had to go. "I'm going off to play hero. You stay here okay? And just... rest. I love you to the moon and back. Gideon? Tell me if anything changes please."

"Of course Captain Lance. I will reach out to you the instant."

With that, Sara made her way to the jumpship to head down to Central City where Barry and Cisco would greet her. 

"Sara!" Barry was all smiles at seeing her and she had to admit, it was nice being welcome with a smiling face instead of the somber ones on the Waverider. "Caitlin and Nora are pulling up the evidence in the lab here, Joe said we might need to look at it because it was definitely not normal."

"Nora?" Sara hadn't been keeping up to date with the two teams so she had no idea who the newbies were anymore. "You have one too?"

"Too? And uh, Yeah. Well that's a long story." He said sheepishly while Cisco gave Sara a hug before bolting inside, afraid of getting smacked. "She's my daughter. Uh from the future."

Sara thought she could steer clear of time travel for one minute. Oh man, Ava was not going to... Ava couldn't do anything right now. She frowned at that thought. "Who's your Nora?" He asked as they got into the control room where everyone could hear them now.

"Damien Darhk's daughter. She joined the Legends three weeks ago when Ray went into the Time Bureau to freak about how we couldn't find one of the Legends."

"Wait, what? He has a daughter?" Caitlin looked shocked.

"She sucks at cooking. But she can make a mean cheesecake for some odd reason. Also, Ray broke a guys phone and almost speared his at a faire because the guy was creepy and took a picture of her boobs." She added on, enjoying the looks of shock she was getting. "And now I'm here after two weeks of rest on the ship."

"Why were you resting? Nothing to do?" The small woman next to Cisco asked. She looked a lot like Iris... so that had to be Nora? 

"My girlfriend got mauled by space pirates in an attempt to stop them from murdering her faux little sister. She's in a coma and might not remember us." Sara said harshly and everyone was taken aback. "Worst thing is she wants to meet you all because I said you're all family." She sniffled and wiped her eyes, getting frustrated at feeling so deeply.

"Well, WHEN she gets better, I'd love to meet her." Iris stated, firm in the fact that she was sure Ava would be okay. "And while we sort through this evidence, all of us want to know everything that's been happening with you all. Gideon told us you guys have been through a lot."

"If only you knew..."

It took way too long to sort out this whole mess. Two weeks to be exact. Turns out a former member of the LoA had decided he wanted to wreck havoc in Central City. But not of his own free will, because he had been drugged with a mind control syrum that made him 10x deadlier. 

But in the end, they got him contained safely and shut down the mastermind behind the mind control. "Jeez. That... took way too long." Barry apologized to Sara who just gave him a sad smile. "Let's call Gideon and see what she has to say about Ava's condition. Maybe it'll be good news!" 

Sara connected the call to the Waverider from Star Labs, team Flash surrounding her which helped. "Gideon? How is she doing?"

"One moment Captain Lance." Was not the answer she was expecting. "Ms. Tomaz, Would you...?"

"I've got it Gid." Zari took over the call and sounded like she was moving through the corridors. "How's Central City Cap?"

"The situation is dealt with. And it's too sunny here, not enough darkness in the hearts of people here."

"We all know you're a secret softie Sara, Don't try to play with us." Zari teased her, which helped lift the overwhelming sadness a tad bit. 

"I am not! I'm dangerous." Sara pouted. She got no response for a minute. She was starting to get worried but then the screen connected to a video call.

What she saw made her glad she was sitting for she would have been knocked on her ass otherwise. "You are dangerous but also a massive softie, my love." It was Ava. Sitting up and smiling at her, looking extremely tired but oh so awake and oh so alive. 

She didn't want to believe this was real. It would be too cruel if this were a joke. "Ava?" She choked out.

"We were told you might have some memory loss." Zari nudged her helpfully. "Come back to the ship and we can prove her memory is up to snuff." She told Sara who was scooped up by Barry and flashed to the jumpship.

"I'll grab your stuff, you go ahead and get the jumpship ready to take off." Sara smiled dazedly after him and started priming the ship.

It took too long to get back to the Waverider. But as soon as she docked, she took off towards the medbay. Ray and Nora were grinning at her when she got there. "How long has she been awake?"

"A little over an hour. Gideon tried getting a message to you all but you must have been finishing up the mission. We did basic tests, got her moving a bit and some water. She could remember all of us, without any help at all." Ray told her.

"And she must remember you. I heard her call you." Nora smiled at Sara, pressing herself into Ray's side.

Sara didn't waste anymore time and went into the medbay. Ava's smiling face greeted her and she swore she was about to have a heart attack. "Ava."

"Hello Sara." She responded, holding out her hand which Sara greedily took. "I kept my promise." She laughed tearily, bringing Sara's forehead to press against hers.

Sara's heart rejoiced at being reunited with her love. Ava remembered, she remembered her promise. Her declarations of her affections. How they met. Their first date. The Legends and them against Mallus. Her first I Love You. The sound of silence no longer echoed in Sara's soul now that she had her missing puzzle piece again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and sticking with me on this story!  
> All mistakes are mine.  
> And let me know what you thought and if you'd like, come shout at me on tumblr at Superstitious19.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry, Ava will live. I can't kill off my favorite character! So this story is really just an exercise in how I write heavy angst so it might not be all that good. Please, let me know what you think so far!  
> Update: I've made this into a three shot! I decided to seperate some of the Legends feelings from Sara's. So we'll see her and Ava waking up fully in chapter 3!


End file.
